RO Energy Minister: “BRUA” still on the table

RO Energy Minister: “BRUA” still on the table

Romanian Energy Minister Toma Petcu says Romania is still interested in the BRUA – Bulgaria, Romania, hUngary, Austria – natural gas interconnector pipeline, according to a report on actmedia.eu. This despite reports this summer of some participant transmission system operators expressing doubts about the project as a whole.

On a visit to Bulgaria to meet with his counterpart there, Ms. Temenuzhka Petkova, Mr. Petcu reported that Romania is set to complete by 2019 the first phase of works in BRUA. He emphasized that BRUA is one of the European Commission’s so-called “project of common interest,” implying that all participants in the project must keep the deadlines for its construction phases.

Petcu aand Petkova also discussed mutual contingency plans to back up each other’s energy supplies in times of crisis; they also discussed new interconnections of the two country’s power grids and the standardization of power trading mechanisms within south-eastern Europe.

Bulgarian Minister Petkova pledged her country’s support to any efforts to bolster energy security.